Creative & Tech General

MINI USA Challenges Artists to Produce Videos that are Literally “Created in a Countryman”

September 12, 2018

Turns out, the MINI Countryman isn’t so mini. To artfully illustrate that the 2019 Countryman has enough space for even the biggest adventures, we teamed up with MINI USA and challenged stop-motion animator Kirsten Lepore (who you may recognize from her quirky “hi stranger” video that lit up the internet and late night shows last year) and Brooklyn-based diorama-duo Nix + Gerber to create short films in their signature styles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBTRkl9ltI8&feature=youtu.be

But there’s a catch – the intricate works of art were entirely created and filmed inside the trunk of the Countryman. Using handmade models and paper cutouts coupled with their own unique animation techniques, each artist created their own beautiful adventure-scape: for “Underwater,” Kirsten Lepore embarked on an exploration of an entire underwater world; and for “Camping” Nix + Gerber crafted a perspective-bending intergalactic camping trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBiWk5GgmEg&feature=youtu.be

The “Created in a Countryman” campaign demonstrates not only the amount of cargo space in the Countryman, but the automaker’s appreciation of artistry, craftsmanship, and tactile, real-world experiences. Tapping the talents of young, urban creatives renowned in artistic circles is a nod to MINI’s playful roots and individualism, appealing to the elevated artistic sensibility of MINI drivers.

In a landscape increasingly dominated by CGI, AR, VR and other forms of digital media manipulation, MINI is going off the beaten path with films that are truly handcrafted. The level of artistry and refinement is so detailed and polished, they could easily be mistaken as computer-generated.

The films are being released today, and later this month MINI will be hosting an event with Nix + Gerber at BAM in Brooklyn to display the work live. You can read more about the campaign in Adweek and check out behind-the-scenes photos, videos and stills from the final spots on our work page.